Cab roof



Aprfl 25, 1939. w. D. THOMP$C1N ET AL 21,052

CAR ROOF Original Filed July 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS WILLIAMB. THOMPSON B Y:- DAVID w; HAWRSWORTH A TTORNEYS w, D. THOMPSON ET AL Aru 25,1939.

. CAR ROOF 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Original Filed July 8, 1935 II IIIIIIIIIAI I a m w w Q $0.

[NVENTORS WILLIAM D.THOMPSON DAVID W- HAWKSWORTH A TTORNE Y S ReisauedApr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE C'AR ROOF ManufacturingCompany,

Delaware a corporation of Original No. 2,136,657, dated November 15,1938,

Serial No. 30,381, July '8, 1935.

Application for reissue March 6, 1939, Serial No. 260,179

6 Claims.

The invention relates to car roofs and has for its object the obtainingof a construction formed from a series of light pressed sheet metalunits rigidly secured to each other and the side plates of the. car. Itis a further object to obtain a unit having suflicient inherent strengthand rigidity to carry the roof load without the reinforcement of otherelements such as carlines and purlines. Still another object is toobtain a very compact construction and one so fashioned as to obtainmaximum capacity within the car and adequate external clearance. Withthese objects in view the invention consists in the construction ashereinafter set forth.

is In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a roof of our improvedconstruction showing the same as mounted upon the side plates of the carframe;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section in the plane of the ridge;

Fig. 4 is a similar section on line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross section, one-half being shown in end elevation;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66, Fig. 5;

Figs. '7 and 8 are cross sections illustrating the manner of forming thewelded joint between adjacent sheets;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section of a portion of Fig.

5 showing the welded joint.

Heretofore car roofs have been formed of sheet metal units which extendfrom eaves to caves, and which when united to each other form what is 5termed a two-plane construction, a portion of the metal being in a lowerplane and another portion in an upper plane, with the two portionsconnected by integral substantially vertically extending portions. Ourimproved roof is of this type of structure but differs from previousconstructions in a number of particulars which result in advantageouscharacteristics. One feature of the construction is that the units areso designed as to distribute load stresses with substantial uniformity,avoiding the over-stressing of any portion and also avoiding the use ofunnecessary metal. This is accomplished by arranging the upper and lowerplane portions non-parallel to each other, with the greatest spacetherebetween at the ridge and tapering toward the eaves on oppositesides of the ridge. Another feature is that the two planes at the eavesmerge into a single plane which is downturned and lies adjacent to theside plate of the car frame, to which it may be secured by riveting,welding or in any other suitable way. Another feature is thereinforcement at the eaves by bars which extend continuously for aplurality of units or for the entire length of the car, said bars havinga portion lying inside the downturned. portion of the '5 units and alsoan inwardly curved upper portion which fits in the curved bend of theunit and reinforoes the same. With such construction the car roof may beformed in several separate sections, each comprising a series of theunits welded 10 to each other and to these longitudinal strips whichlatter provide sufflcient rigidity for handling during shipment. Variousother advantageous features of the construction will be hereinafterspecifically referred to.

Each unit A is formed from a sheet metal blank which is pressed to haveupper plane portions B and B" on opposite sides of the ridge connectedto each other at the ridge by a tangent curve portion B also lower planeportions C. C, conin nected by a similar tangent curve C andsubstantially vertical connected portions D intermediate the two planes.As before stated, the planes B, C and B, C, are not parallel but arespaced the greatest distance apart at the a ridge and from this pointconverge toward the eaves. At the eaves the portions in the two planesare connected by rounded portions E with a portion F in a single planeextending vertically downward. The dimensions of the portions in: theupper and lower planes are such that there is a single portion in oneplane which is substantially the width of two portions on opposite sidesthereof in the other plane. As specifically shown, the wide portion isin the upper plane and the narrow portion in the lower plane, saidnarrow portions being secured to each other by welding. This welding ispreferably accomplished by providing each of the adjacent sheets withturned flanges C abutting each other and extending a short distance fromthe common plane of the sheets. These flanges are then welded to eachother and fused to form a bead C without imparting a great deal of heatto the portions of the sheets in the common plane. This is advantageous.as it prevents warning or distortion of said sheets and also forms aneffective union therebetween. As specifically shown, the width of bothupper and lower plane portions when secured to each other is the sameand preferably 18% inches in the neutral axis of the roof. while thespacing of the planes is 2 inch'esat the ridge to 13'; at the eavesadjacent to the curved portion. These specific dimensions are of course55 not essential but are given merely to indicate one successfulembodiment of the invention.

The roof is attached to the car frame by riveting or welding to the sideplates thereof. Where these side plates are formed of Z-bars G as in thespecific construction shown, it is desirable to reinforce the curvedportion of the unit between the single plane downturned portion and thetransversely extending top portion. For this purpose we preferably use abar H which has a portion lying adjacent to the inner side of theportion F and also has an upper portion H which is curved to fit in theportion E. This bar as previously described may extend either the entirelength of the car or for one section of a car roof composed of aplurality of units, and thus in addition to its reinforced function inthe completed roof, it imparts rigidity to the roof section duringtransportation.

Cars which are designed for the shipment of certain specific articlessuch as automobiles, are frequently provided with equipment forassisting in loading and for holding the load properly positioned duringshipment. This equipment is usually attached to the roof frame andsubjects the same to additional stresses. To provide for the attachmentof such apparatus without local injury to the roof, we have devised thefollowing construction. In the desired locations there is attached tothe underside of the roof angle bars I having a lower flange extendingin a horizontal plane and an upwardly extending flange I which isfashioned to fit against one of the portions D extending around theupper bend beneath the upper plane portion and longitudinally conformingto the pitch of the roof. A number of these members I are attached toadjacent panels so that all of the horizontal flanges I extend in asingle plane. These provide a suitable anchorage and support for theloading apparatus indicated in dotted lines at J and which extend toengage a plurality of the members I.

The units at the ends of the car are the same as those over the body ofthe car with the exception that they are provided with an additionaldownturned flange K which overlaps the end plate L of the car frame. Dueto the fact that the portions on opposite sides of the ridge are indownwardly angling planes, the center portion of this flange K will besubjected to an upsetting action during formation. However, by reason ofthe fact that there is no sharp angle between the portions on oppositesides of the ridge but instead there is a tangent curve portion, theupsetting stresses are so distributed as to not deform the flange K atany one point.

The car roof is provided with the usual longitudinal running boards atthe ridge and transverse running boards at the opposite ends. Thelongitudinal running boards are secured to supporting brackets M whichas shown are of Z-bar cross section, the lower flange conforming to thecurvature of the upper plane at the ridge and the upper flange beinghorizontal and extending over the lower plane portion to provideclearance for bolting the running boards N thereto. This constructionelevates the running boards but slightly above the upper plane of theroof which gives additional clearance at such point.

The transverse running boards are usually mounted upon a frame which isattached to the side of the car and extend over the roof toward theridge. In our improved roof these transverse running boards are mountedupon bars 0 shown as of a Z-cross section, the lower flanges beingwelded to the upper plane portion of one of the roof panels and theupper flanges extending outward and secured to the running boards P. Byreason of the fact that the panels are of considerable width the bars 0may be mounted on a single panel as shown and at the same time affordproper support for the transverse running boards. Hand rails Q and Q maybe formed from a rod bent to have a portion running parallel to one ofthe bars 0 and a portion extending across to the parallel bar. These twoportions are secured by suitable brackets such as R.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a car roof, a series of like symmetrical pressed sheet metal unitseach comprising portions extending from eaves to eaves in non-parallelspaced planes converging from the ridge toward the eaves and at theeaves merging into downturned portions in a single plane, the upperplane portion being substantially twice the width of lower planeportions on opposite sides thereof and being connected thereto bysubstantially vertical portions, the narrow portions of adjacent sheetsbeing welded to each other to form in the completed structure alternateupper and lower plane panels constituting chord members of a series oftrusses symmetrical throughout the length of the car and a reinforcingstrip extending longitudinally through the series of units arrangedadjacent to and on the inner side of said downturned portions, beingwelded thereto to hold the series in rigid relation, said downturnedportions being rigidly secured to the side plates of the car frame withsaid strips lying between each downturned portion and side plate.

2. In a car roof, a series of like pressed sheet metal units, eachcomprising vertically spaced non-parallel portions extendingtransversely from caves to eaves and converging from ridge toward eaves,said portions at the eaves rounding into a downturned portion in asingle plane, said units having their adjacent portions in the sameplane welded to each other, and reinforcing strips extendinglongitudinally throughout the series arranged adjacent to the innersides of said downturned portions and rounded to fit within the curvebetween said portions and the transversely extending portions, saidstrips being Welded to said downturned portions to form of said seriesan independently transportable assembly.

3. A car roof comprising a series of pressed sheet metal units, eachcomprising upper and lower plane portions extending from eaves to eavesand connected by substantially vertical portions, said upper and lowerplane portions at the eaves merging into downturned portions in a singleplane, the adjacent edges of said units being lap-welded to each otherand reinforcing strips extending longitudinally throughout a series ofunits, being arranged adjacent to the inner face of said downturnedportions and welded thereto to form of said series an independentlytransportable assembly.

4. In a car roof, comprising alternate upper and lower plane portionsextending from eaves to eaves and connected by substantially verticalportions, a load supporting bracket having a portion fitting against oneof said substantially vertical portions and welded thereto, and a flangeextending laterally from said Welded portion beneath said upper planeportion and below the plane of said lower plane portion.

5. In a car roof comprising upper and lower plane portions extendingfrom eaves to eaves and connected by substantially vertical portions, aload supporting bracket comprising a flange fashioned to fit against oneof said substantially vertical portions with a flange at its upper endextending beneath the upper plane portion of the roof, the said portionsbeing welded to the roof and a bracket portion depending below saidlower plane roof portion and having a flange extending laterally beneathsaid upper plane portion.

6. In a car roof comprising upper and lower plane portions extendingfrom eaves to eaves and connected by substantially vertical portions,

a load supporting anchorage comprising a series of brackets, each havinga portion for fitting against one of said substantially vertical roofportions and welded thereto, said bracket portion depending below thelower plane roof portion and provided with a lateral flange extendingbeneath the upper plane roof portion, the brackets of said series beingaligned with each other so that their lateral flanges are in the samehorizontal plane.

WILLIAM D. THOMPSON. l DAVID W. HAWKSWORTH.

